Basic Services:

Copyedit

In this service, I improve your book’s overall readability. I (1) proofread for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax errors and also (2) work to improve structure and flow of individual sentences, paragraphs, and chapters; (3) make changes and/or suggestions regarding word choice, tense, and consistency; (4) streamline and polish the text; (5) note inconsistencies in the story; (6) query anything that I expect your target audience will not understand; and (7) suggest basic structural and organizational changes as appropriate. (Please note that the manuscript’s plot development and character development are not addressed in a copyedit. Those fall under the umbrella of a literary edit or development edit.)

Fee: $0.02/word ($200 minimum); includes a 30-minute phone call after you have reviewed my edits
*This service is performed electronically. If you require the copyedit to be performed on paper (hard copy), an additional fee of $0.01 per word will be charged.

LiteraryEdit

This service can be seen as a combination of the copyedit and the critique, though because a copyedit is performed, the critique letter focuses on high-level aspects of your manuscript, in which I assess its (1) major strengths, (2) aspects most in need of improvement, (3) structure, (4) organization, (5) technical writing skill, (6) style, (7) fulfillment of the text’s purpose, and (8) success at speaking to the target audience. If your work is fiction or nonfiction narrative, I also assess the quality of your plot and character development. If it is a business, technical, or academic text, I evaluate how clearly you have communicated the background, issues, and resolutions/solutions.

Fee: $0.03/word ($200 minimum); includes a 30-minute phone call after you have reviewed my edits
*This service is performed electronically. If you require the copyedit portion to be performed on paper (hard copy), an additional fee of $0.01 per word will be charged.

Premium Services:

Developmental Edit

I tailor your service to the needs of your manuscript. The development edit typically consists of three rounds, in which I act as beta reader, copyeditor, and proofreader. working with you to ensure that you are meeting your writing goals and the needs of your prospective audience. In every round, I provide you a letter summarizing (1) aspects of the manuscript that are particularly strong and those in need of change, (2) recommendations for improvement, and (3) an overview of my changes to the manuscript.

In the first round, I (1) review your content, organization, main points, development, and progression of ideas, and (2) make high-level suggestions for improving your text, which you implement as you believe appropriate.

Once you have made any changes, I begin the second round. I review your changes, make further suggestions, and work with you to resolve any new or unresolved issues. (Typically, I also perform a copyedit in this round, but I may not if a lot of structural changes or rewriting of text is still necessary.)

Finally, in the third round, I ensure that issues from rounds 1 and 2 have been resolved, and I proofread for any errors that we may have introduced in the process. (If I did not copyedit in round 2, I will do so in this round.)

In some rare instances, we may agree that your manuscript should have a fourth-round review. Depending on the manuscript’s needs, a fourth round may result in additional fees.

Fee: $0.04/word of initially submitted manuscript ($200 minimum); includes two 30-minute phone calls—one each after rounds 1 and 2

If one of the goals of your development edit is to flesh out your text, the fee will increase to account for the increased word count.

Writing Coaching Package 1 (Acorn)

This package is a great deal for the person who wants a personal language and writing coach as well as the opportunity to become a better writer. We work together to improve your skill and confidence as a writer. With this package, you receive the following:

—an initial written critique of your manuscript or concept (assessing the manuscript’s structure, organization, technical aspects, style, and success in meeting its purpose for the target audience), followed by a 30-minute phone call in which I make suggestions for the work and recommend a plan of study/improvement

—a regularly scheduled 30-minute phone call or online chat session (your choice) every two weeks (8 total calls) in which I answer any of your questions about editing or writing in general, or your text in particular

—a full four months of e-mail access to me, in which I answer your writing and language questions

Although one goal of this package is to give you a clean, strong manuscript, the ultimate goal is to help you become a better and more confident writer in general, with personal coaching focused on your greatest need!

Fee: $4,000

Writing Coaching Package 2 (Oak)

This package is even more in-depth than Acorn, for the person who wants more personalized service and coaching. You and I work together for a full year to improve your text but also—and most importantly—to improve your skill and confidence as a writer. Here’s what I provide:

—an initial written critique of your manuscript or concept (assessing the manuscript’s structure, organization, technical aspects, style, and success in meeting its purpose for the target audience), followed by a 30-minute phone call in which I make suggestions for the work and recommend a plan of study/improvement

—a regularly scheduled 30-minute phone call or online chat session (your choice) every two weeks (26 total calls) in which I answer any of your questions about editing or writing in general, or your book in particular

—at any point in the year (whenever you’re ready), a literary edit of your manuscript, which involves a copyedit plus a letter detailing any further work I think your text needs

—a full year of e-mail access to me, in which I answer any of your writing and/or editing questions

As you can see, this package offers you guidance on your initial manuscript, writing coaching for one project, and a literary edit of your manuscript, which is a tremendous value. Above all, however, you learn how to be a better writer in general, with personal coaching focused on your greatest need!

Fee: $10,000

Business Services

I can proofread or copyedit memos, letters, PowerPoint presentations, e-mails, internal documents, reports, or any other text that does not require specialized legal knowledge/language.